ODST: High Charity
by Go Vader
Summary: Follow the story of Gunnery Sergeant Scott McHale as he and his squad of ODSTs fight through High Charity, the holy city of the Covenant after the In Amber Clad jumped to Delta Halo following Regret's Slipspace jump from New Mombasa. Can they survive?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter I: Captured

The hums of the Phantom, the lingering stench of decay, and the wild smell of Brute fur awoke Gunnery Sergeant Scott McHale as he gazed at the gargantuan ape-like creatures. He causally craned his head and stared at the pile of bodies littering the Phantom dropship, the bodies of his squad. He could not tell who was alive or dead, not one figure made an attempt to make the most minuscule of and the bodies strewn about were Orbital Drop Shock Troopers who made up the second initial wave against the Covenant on the ring world known as Halo, apparently the second of it's kind that humanity has found.

The _In Amber Clad_ had jumped with the Prophet of Regret's carrier over the New Mombasa skyline back on Earth and ended up what seemed like millions of miles away to this curious installation. His squad didn't go in HEV pods with the other ODSTs and Spartan-117, or Master Chief as he was commonly know. Instead, they landed on Halo inside a Pelican after they were signaled that Chief and another squad of Marines and ODST's breached an alien temple based in the center of a , it was bad timing. When they got to their landing zone, a Covenant capital ship appeared over the temple and blasted it away with the Marines and Chief still residing in it. Their dismay was interrupted by a neon-green round from a Fuel Rod cannon that tore apart their Pelican, effectively isolating them from any rescue. Looks like the Chief didn't completely clear out the area of all Covenant forces beforehand after all. Nobody saw the Brutes stationed anywhere on the Halo and it was a surprise to see the apes blitzing out of the jungle around them. Those cunning, yet savage, creatures waited for the Pelican to set down and drop it's precious soldiers before attacking. The initial Fuel Rod round and Brute Shot grenades rendered the Pelican inoperable and a smoldering wreak.

Returning back to the present, McHale saw that the attack had taken it's toll on his squad, some of whom were now showing signs of life. Private Paul Anderson lay motionless near the foot of a Brute, his head apparently caved in by the giant's foot with bone, brain, and blood pooled together. Corporal Mohamed Al-Kali was sitting with his back against the Phantom's wall, but he was either dead or resting, Scott couldn't tell. Privates George and Richard Hodges were looking alive, at least for the time , he felt the Phantom jerk to a grinding halt and witnessed the hatches open. He was promptly picked up by a gray haired Brute, along with the other living members of his squad, and taken off the ship. A blinding light momentarily made him wince his eye's before the polarization of his helmet kicked in, but when it did all he could do was gaze in majesty. Before him was the seemingly limitless sight of a Covenant city with a three pronged triangular tower in the middle, all in the classic violet the Covenant loved so much.

It was High Charity, the holiest city of the Covenant war machine who's majesty was eclipsed only by the Halo his neck to the left he noticed another Phantom go to the opposite side of this station, probably another batch of prisoners unlucky enough to be subdued by the Covenant, which made this whole situation all the more bizarre as the Covenant never took prisoners before. The outside view quickly disappeared as he was led into a dark hallway, only lit by dim violet and crimson lighting, and to an anti-gravity elevator. The ultimate destination of this platform was an area that many humans could identify, a prison. Inside he found there were other prisoners, though certainly not human. Angry, rabid Jackals snapped at them with a blazing fire in their eye's and a creamy white froth excreting form their beaks. Richard was thrown in their cell, his screams hauntingly hinting at what was being done to him. His brother George tried to break free from the iron grip of his Brute captors, but was quickly recaptured by one of the Brute's and thrown into an empty, dank cell. Al-Kali and McHale were tossed into a separate cell across from George's. His helmet flew away from his face and his senses were all attacked at once. The death of Richard, the horrific stench of the cells, and a pulsating migraine were too much for McHale to handle . He found the embrace of unconsciousness once more.

Elsewhere on High Charity, in the midst of the Prophets, a green "demon" appeared in a dazzling yellow shroud. His judgment would be the one that would reign supreme in the Prophet's domain.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Jail Break

McHale was brutally awaken by a swift smack to his head, thankfully by a human hand. Al-Kali was standing above him, purple blood splattered across his armor.

"Come one Gunny, time to get moving," Al-Kali said. Still adjusting to his sudden awakening, Scott managed to utter "Report Corporal, what happened,".

"About ten minutes ago a brief power surge opened our cells, all of ours," Al-Kali answered obviously hinting to the purple blood that stained his chest. McHale staggered out of the cell and saw the carnage, all the rabid Jackals were dead, some with still smoldering holes in their head or broken bones. "_Makes sense_," McHale thought to himself looking back at Mohamed_, "Al-Kali is a bear of a man and I doubt some wimpy birds would be able to take him_."

Suddenly, thoughts of George's well-being surged in his mind, but he was relieved to see his other squad mate alive although something was amiss. Hodges was sitting down, head in his elevated legs. McHale walked up to George, placed his hand on the troopers shoulder, and said "C'mon Private, we're out of here". He was meet by the still helmet clad stare of George, but he could hint the signs of "What are you talking about?" on George's shielded face. Even so, George stood up and gave Scott a salute. Al-Kali walked up and handed them both Covenant Carbines and Plasma Pistols.

"Where did you find these Corporal?" McHale asked a little impressed that Al-Kali managed to secure weapons in such a hostile environment.

"They kept them in containers just outside the door" Al-Kali replied "Seems odd when you consider it what with the prisoners right behind the door and what not."

Scott smiled at the stupidity the Covenant employed with their jail security, but thanked God for the fortune it gave them. "Oh," Al-Kali said "I think you'll need this," as he handed Scott his helmet. The vacuum seal of the helmet hissed as it met his armor and he was ready to take the fight to the Covenant. Al-Kali walked up to the elevator console and attempted to summon an elevator. All he kept getting was an annoying beep and a red light, Al-Kali uttered a quiet curse in Arabic. That's when McHale noticed George making an "up" motion with his hand at the elevator already coming down.

"I didn't call that elevator, get down!" Al-Kali screamed. The trio crouched down behind the console to avoid being spotted. The hum of the anti-gravity technology that powered the elevator was getting closer and closer.

"On three, we attack whatever is on that elevator," McHale ordered as both Al-Kali and Hodges nodded. As soon as the elevator touched down, Scott and George opened a flurry of green projectiles and blobs of plasma on the unfortunate Grunts and Jackals that were on the elevator. Al-Kali, Needler now in his hand, lunged at a Jackal and slammed the needle side on the remaining Jackal's face. Puncture holes with purple blood oozing out dotted the dead Jackal's face as Al-Kali ripped the Needler from it's face.

"Well men," McHale said, "Lets get going". The ODSTs stepped up on the elevator and went up. Elsewhere on High Charity, a group of haggard Marines subjected to similar conditions as McHale's squad gazed in awe at the "Demon" that has liberated them.


End file.
